That's how I explained it to the lady who I stopped to help at the bottom of the big hill. She was struggling with her brand-new Specialized Dolce and a jumpy chain. She said that it was coming off when shifting down on the hills so I suggested she try shifting down a chainring before the hill, rather than as she came onto the initial incline and then balancing it out on the sprocket by going up a couple of gears. It's a problem I had when I first started riding my current set-up. I'd try and drop down too late and end up with the chain jamming and bringing me to a grinding halt.

Despite the lovely sunshine it was still definitely winter out today. Popped on a nice thick jersey under the windproof top today to combat that cold Russian wind that has been sweeping in from the East. Still didn't stop the icy windchill creeping in along with the dampness of sweat.

Today it was a case of the usual three laps and home again which, all inclusive of getting there and back, amounts to about 50 kilometres. I recently figured out that there's about 8km between my house and the Richmond Gate, which counts as a pretty good warm up and a nice top-up to my training distances.

A quicker second lap on which I pushed a bit harder counts for trying to raise my fitness levels but I still don't feel like I'm improving as much as I would like. It feels like I've hit a bit of a plateau and unless I start working harder I worry I'll not be where I should be in the grand training scheme.

Tuesday I plan to go out and take on a good 50 miles plus just to guage where I am at in terms of being able to do the distance. I'll probably pelt down towards Dorking and the Surrey Hills and have a tilt at a few hills out that way.

Posted by Alex on 29 January 2006, 19:01 Digg this | Add to del.icio.us | Reddit | Newsvine | Facebook | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks ()

They were showing off some of the new range and had the chaps from Cyclefit (www.cyclefit.co.uk) down to tell the 20 or so riders, who had been swift in replying to the invite, about their service and some of the issues for getting the right bike. I probably should have badgered them a bit more afterwards to find out what I can do about my nagging lower back problem which I need to get looked at.

Instead I spent most of my time discussing their new designs with the designer fella, whose name I have forgotten (rather embarassing how bad I am with names these days). We even had his pantone block out to check colours. We also discussed the Massif Central with me extolling what a great place it would be for a photoshoot. Their upcoming tricolore range looks very cool, especially the France one, and there are some really strong choices of colours that will look as good off the bike as on.

I still can't wait for their bib shorts to become available (probably March) as that's the one item I am still missing in my wardrobe. By the sounds of things they will fit perfectly with my aesthetic, having black-on-black logos rather than the annoying white-on-black that so many companies insist on. I just think that it ruins the line visually to have a blur of logo jumping up and down on the leg. On the jersey, fine.

I also spent some time discussing the Etape with a lady called Jo who reckons it's going to be a hot time on the ride this year, given how far south the course is and the time of year. I think she could well be right, but knowing my luck it'll be cloudy and grey. She's ridden it before and fired up my enthusiasm again - so I went flat out all the way home in the icy high winds which are rather torrid today.

Yesterday I spent a couple of hours in the gym owing to the cold. I tried various things, including what it's like to output the 300 watts or so needed for an event like the Etape. I lasted about 5 minutes at most, struggling at a low cadence and sweating like a leaky showerhead. After much dithering and avoidance I put in a few sessions that can't amount to more than 20 or so miles but at a high work rate and heart rate. I feel alright today which is unusual.

Maybe my fitness is improving after all.

Posted by Alex on 27 January 2006, 00:01 Digg this | Add to del.icio.us | Reddit | Newsvine | Facebook | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks ()

The broom wagon is what happens to those who simply haven't got what it takes to reach the time-checks on the course. I desperately don't want to be one of them. I've been worrying about what sort of set up to take and what gearing is going to work for me. All a handy diversion from my day-to-day worries but not really getting me anywhere.

so I turned to Ron's etape site - http://www.etape.org.uk/. It's a very useful resource for anyone doing the Etape and has raised my spirits somewhat. He's reminded me that I don't need to be ready now, but in July and that when it's as bitingly cold as it is this week there is always the gym. So tomorrow evening I'll be popping down my old gym and sitting on the cycling machine for a couple of hours pounding out a hard session to make up for it.

I somehow feel like I'm riding within my limits at the moment and not really improving on my fitness level. I'm still struggling on actually getting up the roads that should be a doddle. Perhaps my recovery rate has improved and I haven't noticed that but I just don't feel like I'm developing the power to take on the mountains.

There's the urge to get out there and really push myself but it has to be tempered with the knowledge that the target is a long way off yet. In the meantime I suppose I can still keep wondering about which bike to buy next. The Focus Cayo from Wiggle is certainly tempting me, being lightweight carbon, with a 10-speed range on the sprocket and the new compact chainset which in theory gives me almost as many options as a triple. Otherwise, I'm looking at the trek 1400 or similar spec.

I feel like my best option, not necessarily in terms of price, is to go to a shop and get myself fitted properly on a bike that will fit rather than risking one that might fit off the internet. What I save in cost I may well lose in service and actually getting the right piece of equipment for the job.

Posted by Alex on 25 January 2006, 00:01 Digg this | Add to del.icio.us | Reddit | Newsvine | Facebook | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks ()

Sadly I must report that I have yet to beat it. Again I found myself blowing up and having to stop just before the final bend. Admittedly, I had my rucksack on, with my heavy lock and dead weight of clothes, but that shouldn't excuse my lack of ability to climb something which is pretty basic compared with what I am going to face in July. I guess I need to go out and keep on attacking it until I master it. That's the proven way to master climbing - keep on trying until you gain some level of proficiency.

What caused me to stop was that I had dropped down as many gears as I could to see if I could spin my way up the hill without coming out of the saddle. At some point habit kicked in and I sprung out of the saddle to give myself a quick jolt and to keep the momentum going. I must have been way down the sprocket as, as soon as I kicked down on the pedal, the bike shot foward and the pedal felt light under my foot.

It threw me totally off my cadence, which had been good and even up to that point, and I just couldn't settle back into the saddle as the bike lost its initial thrust and slowed under me. Perhaps hills in town aren't the best place to be learning these skills and that sort of trial and error should be reserved for somewhere a little less busy with traffic.

Which brings me to the next issue in my preparation - cadence. It's the rate at which you turn the pedals and is key to efficient cycling. The old wisdom was about 60 revolutions per minute but more modern opinion say that, post-Lance Armstrong era, the optimum rate is somewhere around 90. I actually find that an awkward rate and feel more comfortable at a lower cadence. But I have been trying to get used to the technique to give me a point of reference and so that I can start finding my own ideal compromise.

Day off this evening in part as I had a ride yesterday, as detailed, and in part due to the face that it is flesh-stripping cold out there.

Posted by Alex on 23 January 2006, 22:01 Digg this | Add to del.icio.us | Reddit | Newsvine | Facebook | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks ()

It was an enjoyable 3 laps of the park for me with a bit of extra mileage today. The highlight of today's ride, with headphones in, was screaming down the big hill with Belinda Carlisle's "Heaven is a place on earth" blaring out. Through the sunlight, along the racing line; that's what cycling should be all about.

There were some interesting riders out today, some of whom are worth mentioning. First, the woman on her tourer or old-fashioned racer who I've seen the last few weeks. She is silver-haired and I would guess at least in her sixties. She goes round clockwise at her own very even pace and must do at least 5 or more laps i reckon. Sometimes her expression is one of fixed determination, otherwise she has slight smile and seems to be thoroughly enjoying it.

Then there was the girl on a nice-looking racer who was wearing what I though was a parka type jacket in blue and one of those big woven scarves that are popular with the sort of woman you see a lot of in the home counties and west London. I could have sworn she was doing laps in a skirt and tights. Although I am willing to admit it may have been shorts over tights.

The other person worth a mention is the chap on the "fixed" which I think was a cannibalised Specialized of some sort. For those of you who haven't dived into the world of cycling, a "fixed" or is pretty much what it sounds like. The back wheel is fixed so that you can't freewheel - you only go as fast as you can manage to turn the pedals and, if you stop turning the pedals, you stop pretty abruptly and messily. It's hard work but he kept up a pretty strong pace on the flat and the only time I felt I had the edge was on the downhill. We did a lap together and it was nice to have someone to tow round and to keep me honest. Sometimes it's very easy to not push yourself when you are out on your own and just work within your limits.

I popped down to Kingston-on-Thames afterwards to get some new brake pads from Sigma Sport which is one of the best bike shops around. A lot of places these days the staff don't really seem to know their bikes and don't carry an evident passion to enthuse the customer with. The couple of times I've been in to Sigma they have been unfailingly helpful and chatty. They've never tried to sell me something I don't need and always listened carefully. I can thoroughly recommend them and will be going to them for my next bike some time later this year.

Got home and threw the kit in the wash as I'd managed to sweat through my base layer and windproof jersey. Once I'm on a bike it really is like turning on a tap and I've yet to find a solution. No amount of technical fabric or wicking properties can cope. Roll on the warmer weather when getting a sweat on doesn't mean that you very quickly end up as cold as a bag of frozen peas.

Posted by Alex on 21 January 2006, 17:01 Digg this | Add to del.icio.us | Reddit | Newsvine | Facebook | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks ()

I managed a lap and a half before I found the cold was getting to me and I ran out of drink in my bottle. I still haven't got it into my head that, when I say I'm going out for an hour in Richmond Park, I need to factor in getting there and back which adds on a good 30 or 40 minutes to the ride.

Bar the joggers and other cyclists there's nobody else in there so you get full use of the road and can take the most aggressive line you like on the downhills and the shortest one on the uphills. And the deer; who it seems they are culling again in February. They are one of the main attractions for visitors to the park and are a fine sight to behold. Except when you are hurtling down the biggest hill in the park at over 50kph and one is running alongside you on the grassy verge, both of you with a look of utter terror in your eyes and not quite sure who is going to go which way.

Here's a picture of them that I took just before Christmas when I was out for one of my Tuesday afternoon rides.

I encountered a poor chap carrying his bike back along the stretch from Ham Gate to Broomfield Drive. Apparently his chain had started jumping and bent his rear mech out of shape. I felt rather sorry for him having to walk all the way back round in his cleats but he seemed to be resigned to his walk with good grace and did thank me for stopping to see if he was alright.

Yet again the cold and my innate propensity to defy any material known to wick away the amount of sweat that pours out of me on a ride meant that after one full lap I was ready for home. I had a bit of an existential crisis at the end of the lap coming up the slope (well it's not enough to call a hill) towards Richmond Gate. My ability to go up hills in the park seems to have gone and I once again found myself going backwards on the hills to a slow trundle regardless of how many gears I dropped down.

If anyone has any advice as to why this is happening, and only really happening in the park, then please feel free to add your comments. I don't get the same when I'm riding up any other hills that I encounter and it is starting to rile me in my head.

I'm going to try and get out again with London Dynamo on Saturday morning so i shall probably report back on my progress after that. Hopefully it will be a more successful outing than last week's.

Posted by Alex on 18 January 2006, 23:01 Digg this | Add to del.icio.us | Reddit | Newsvine | Facebook | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks ()

It's not the longest ride in the world but it is one that I do frequently. Zipping up Holland Park Avenue, I found myself pondering why I struggled with the hills in Richmond Park on Saturday: up the hill from Ham gate towards Broomfield Drive at 12kph at times with no sense of being able to dig in for a little more energy. Yet there I was going up the slopes of another rich London quartier at about 25kph.

Wrong gear, wrong preparation on Saturday? It's possible that I had toasted myself trying to keep with a group that was too fast for me on the flat and had nothing left for the inclines. I'm pretty sure riding on the big ring did wear me out more than I expected so I'm back to abusing the middle one as much as possible, apart from for the downhill bits and the steep uphills.

Otherwise my main problem at the moment is that my hack bike got stolen at the weekend so I am in the process of replacing it, meaning that I am having to ride my good bike everywhere at the moment. Truthfully, I'm quite enjoying getting better accustomed to it and the way it rides in all situations. Hopefully I should have the hack replaced within a week or so with something from Edinburgh Bicycle Co-Op or a cheap second-hand from a local shop.

Posted by Alex on 17 January 2006, 16:01 Digg this | Add to del.icio.us | Reddit | Newsvine | Facebook | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks ()

So I finished the second lap then went and sat in the cafe for 20 minutes with a coffee and flapjack before I met up with another couple of guys who are doing the folly that is the Etape as well. I got back at 1:30pm after another three or four laps with them which were more to my liking. I'm now a bit knackered and need a lie down. I hurt a bit and keep on getting cramp attacks just behind the knee of my right leg.

I usually get passed by the groups when I'm out as they fly past. It's not that they're going much faster, just they are keeping the same even pace and working in a group is easier. I think I'll try and go out with them again at some point once I've got a few more miles under my belt, or just start in the slower group instead and keep a moderate gear while sticking in the middle of the bunch. My mistake was probably to hang on the back of the group rather than nearerr the front so, when the pace went up, there was nowhere for me to go other than out of the back.

It's a start though. By contrast I get a bit out of breath if I even attempt to jog from here to my mate's place, which is only round the corner, about 300 metres at most.

One thing I was reminded of as I struggled round is that what I do love is, when I'm in the mountains in summer, spotting a cyclist carving their lonesome way up the side of some monstrous climb. There is something deeply heroic and almost perfect about watching a man and machine working together like that against an immovable object and then overcoming it by force of will and through their own power.

Posted by Alex on 14 January 2006, 15:01 Digg this | Add to del.icio.us | Reddit | Newsvine | Facebook | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks ()

It has dawned on me that I wasn't making much use of two out of the three rings on my chainset so I've been trying to get used to riding on the big ring and the small 'granny' ring when I can. In my slight haze this morning I didn't really notice that I hadn't dropped down off the big one as I was making my way up the incline from Highgate to Spaniards Way in North London. In fact I made it all the way to work without dropping down off it so now feel confident that I can turn a bigger gear more often. It also helps me get used to the useful habit of turning the pedals over to build up to the right cadence which seems to be easier to do when you've got something to push against.

I've decided to start wearing my glasses when I'm on the bike as much as possible so that I can actually see clearly where I'm going. I have, up until now, been quite happy to zoom around with blurred, astigmatic vision on the grounds that i can see most things but not detail. With my glasses on I do find it easier as I'm not straining to focus and so can concentrate more on what's going on around me. On the other hand they are a pain and I live in fear of them bouncing off the road in front of me. Contact lenses are the obvious solution but someone like me is bound to end up repeatedly stabbing myself in the eye with my finger trying to put them in.

I'm still suffering from a light cold from the constant damp at the moment. So the heavy rain on my way there and on my journey to work this morning were most unwelcome. It's difficult to enjoy it when you are being assaulted by sharp rain from all sides and you are feeling the chill. It's also rather difficult to see where you are going and hazards on the road. Of course the rain stopped shortly after I got to work and by lunchtime the skies were that lovely, clear wintery blue.

The bike needs a good hose down before I take it out again, which may be at the weekend to get some new blocks as I seem to have worn the current set quite heavily since they were fitted in the summer. I may even attempt to fit them myself in my ongoing quest to master bike maintenance. It'll also give me a chance to drop into Sigma sports in Kingston and consider a new bike and getting a 'bikefit' consultation to set up the existing one properly for my body.

Posted by Alex on 12 January 2006, 00:01 Digg this | Add to del.icio.us | Reddit | Newsvine | Facebook | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks ()

From home to East Dulwich in South East London, in the morning - mappy.co.uk says around 18km, I say further as it always goes for the shortest/quickest way to get anywhere. Actually I joined together a couple of routes that I know well enough to simplify the amounth of concentrating on directions I would need to do. So the first part followed my old route from Hammersmith to Westminister, as far a Vauxhall Bridge via Barons Court, Northend Road, Fulham Broadway, battersea Bridge Road and then flat out down Cheyne Walk. The second part followed the 185 bus route all the way to East Dulwich via Oval, Camberwell (I think) and Denmark Hill. All in about 45 minutes with a bit of a bump up the rise round Denmark Hill.

Then in the evening from East Dulwich to Spitalfields/Brick Lane via Elephant and Castle, Tower Bridge and Hackney/Whitechapel. Having consulted my A to Z before setting off I had a rough plan but once I had missed a turning in Peckham High Street somewhere it became a bit of a case of following my nose and looking out for signs to point me in the direction of landmarks, like Tower Bridge, and using a bit of common sense.

Finally, blasted home on late night streets - which were relatively quiet - down Old Street, Clerkenwell Road, Kingsway, Strand, Mall, Hyde Park, back up Kensington Church Street for some uphill, then down Holland Park Avenue, stop for bagels in Shepherds Bush and finally down Goldhawk Road and home.

One slight problem - it was very cold and quite damp yesterday which means I have developed a bit of a cold on my chest from all that hard breathing. hopefully it will shift soon enough. I have decided that I'm going to try and train three times a week and aim for a day on/day off routine so that i can fit things more easily around my other commitments.

Posted by Alex on 8 January 2006, 22:01 Digg this | Add to del.icio.us | Reddit | Newsvine | Facebook | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks ()

This sort of lack of motivation is just what I don't need if I'm going to start putting the hours in. A more hopeful view would be that it is stopping me overtraining and attempting too much too soon.

From next week I'll be making time in my schedule to get out and ride with a club or a group of fellow Etape riders round my area. For reference that's Chiswick in West London and we'll probably be putting the miles in around Richmond Park until the weather improves and it's lighter in the evening.

Perhaps it's the dark and the riding alone that seems so uneviable. Let's hope it is just that.

Posted by Alex on 5 January 2006, 15:01 Digg this | Add to del.icio.us | Reddit | Newsvine | Facebook | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks ()

I just tried the vanilla-flavoured Science in Sport Rego in my trial pack I bought and, good god! It was down the sink faster than it took to make it. I'm going to have to find something more palatable for after my rides.

Went out for my first ride of the year in the constant drizzle of central London to pick up a pair of Bontrager Race Lite Hardcase 7000x23 tyres to replace my 700x28 ones. I need to get used to a better quality of tyre and one that fits under my Race Blades mudguards. the 28s were rubbing at the back, something I didn't notice when I fitted them. In theory this means I'm on "racing" tyres, albeit training/durable ones.

What difference this will make is anyone's guess but it will probably see me skittering around corners like a giraffe on ice until I get used to them and pluck up the courage to find out how much grip they have.

I had to hose the bike down in the shower as it was filthy from a 1.5 hour ride during which I seem to have collected as much grime and dirt as is physically possible. Felt quite easy on the bike and I was fair clipping along (but remembering to adhere to the highway code as far as possible).

Part of me says I should forget about investing in a new bike and instead get this one sorted out properly. That said I wouldn't mind some carbon forks on it and given the amount I could spend I might be as well to get myself a newer bike at the next price point up, or perhaps the big splash out on a Specialized Roubaix Elite (subject to being able to get one with a triple) or Trek 5000.

Time for a shower and replenishment with pizza or something. It's not like I'm not using up the excess calories.

Posted by Alex on 3 January 2006, 21:01 Digg this | Add to del.icio.us | Reddit | Newsvine | Facebook | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks ()

I've been off the bike since before Christmas due to weather and laziness but I can't wait to get back on it and get out there again. Not so much itchy feet as an itch in the thighs and calves to get pedalling and start building up to it. To start focusing on the goal and fguring out how I'm going to get there. It's not that I don't want to, more that I don't quite know how to.

So from tomorrow it's time to start finding time and going out, even if it is for just an hour's burst of riding as hard as I can, or just turning the pedals over. The most important thing is going to be developing the power I need for climbing and finding a nice rhythm to my riding.

Posted by Alex on 2 January 2006, 22:01 Digg this | Add to del.icio.us | Reddit | Newsvine | Facebook | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks ()